Colorado judge who sentenced election denier Tina Peters to prison receives threats

A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

A rural Colorado county courthouse beefed up security Friday after threats were made against staff and a judge who sentenced former county clerk Tina Peters to nearly nine years behind bars and admonished her for her role in a data breach scheme catalyzed by the lie that the 2020 election was stolen from former President Donald Trump.

Courthouse staff in Grand Junction, Colorado, received multiple threats that were being vetted by law enforcement while extra security was provided, said spokesperson Wendy Likes with the Mesa County Sheriff's Office.

She did not say how many threats were made or how they were received. She also declined to describe the extra security.

The court received compliments as well as threats for Judge Matthew Barrett’s sentencing of Peters, Will Sightler, the court executive of the 21st Judicial District, said in a statement Friday. He didn't elaborate on what the compliments said.

Peters, a Republican, was sentenced Thursday for allowing access to the county's election system to a man affiliated with My Pillow chief executive Mike Lindell — a prominent promoter of false claims that voting machines were manipulated to steal the election.

The one-time hero to election deniers, who was convicted in August, was unapologetic about what happened during the sentencing hearing Thursday — leading Judge Barrett to chastise her during a 15-minute speech that was shared widely online.

He told Peters she sought power and fame in pursuing false election fraud claims, causing immeasurable damage to election integrity in Mesa County. He said she had no respect for the checks and balances of government, for the court, law enforcement or her colleagues and that she betrayed her oath of office, making her a danger to the community.